Charles f



(No Model.)

0. F. KARE. TOY CANNON.

No. 538,588. Patented A r. 30, 1895.

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CHARLES F. KARR, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TOY CANNON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,588, dated April 30, 1895. Application filed February 19, 1895. $erial No. 538,985. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. KARE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gap or Fulminate Exploders for Cannons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the cap, or fulminate exploding devices of that type of cannon particularly designed as playthings, or toys for amusing children, but not necessarily restricted to such purpose.

The object of the present invention is to provide new and improved mechanism for holding and releasing the cap, or fulminate-exploding-hammer, which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and perfect and reliable in operation, and which possesses such few parts in its organization that it is not liable to become disarranged, or inoperativewhen subjected to the usage incident to childrens playthings or toys.

The invention also has for its object to provide such arrangement of parts that the cord, or string, usually employed to draw or wheel the cannon about, serves also to actuate the trip device to release the cap, or fulminateexploding-hammer. V

The invention also has for its object to provide the breech of a cannon with novel, simple,and efficient means for securing and holding the paper caps, or fulminates, in such manner that if the cannon is exposed to the wind, or is jarred, or suddenly moved, the caps or fulminates will not be blown away, or disarranged, or displaced from proper position preparatory to the stroke of the hammer for exploding the caps or fulminates.

The invention consists essentially in the combination with a barrel, and a carriage or frame therefor, of a pivoted, curved, or segmental hammer having a tail-piece at its pivoted end portion, a tripping arm mounted to swing in a vertical plane beneath the barrel and hammer, and provided with an edge to engage the tail-piece of the hammer, and a single spring connected to the hammer and to a part of the trippingarm and acting to swing the tripping arm into engagement with 50 the tail-piece of the hammer and to throw the hammer in the direction required to explode the cap or fulminate.

The invention, also, consists in the combination with a barrel, and a carriage or frame therefor, of a pivoted hammer arranged to swing in a vertical plane coincident,or parallel with the axis of the barrel, and having a tail-piece at its pivoted end portion,a swinging tripping arm mounted on a part of the carriage beneath the barrel and hammer, and a spring connected with the hammer and with a part of the tripping-arm, and acting to throw the hammer in the direction required to explode'the cap or fulminate, and to swing the tripping-arm into engagement with the tailpiece of the hammer.

The invention also consists in certain other features of construction and combination or arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cannon embodying my invention and mounted on a base or support having a guide for the cord or string which serves to operate the trippingarm. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken at one side of the gun-barrel; and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the hammer, the pivot-pin, the tripping-arm, and the spring.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein the numeral 1 indicates the barrel of a cannon, mounted on cheekpieces 2, of a frame or carriage. The cheekpieces as here shown are extended to trail upon the ground, or surface traversed, and are connected by cross-pieces 3 and 4. The cheek-pieces 2, and the cross-pieces 3 and 4, are preferably cast integral with lateral bearings, ortubular portions 5, having wheel spindles 6 on, or with which the wheels 7 are adapted to rotate.

The carriage, or frame illustrated in the drawings, is well suited for the purpose in hand, but I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to any particular construction of carriage, or frame, as obviously it can be of anyordinary shape, form, or configuration.

IOO

The cannon and carriage or frame illustrated in the drawings are designed'to represent a toy cannon particularly designed for a child, and is typical of many forms of barrels, and carriages or frames that can be employed.

The dimensions or size of the various parts can be largely increased, or diminished, for the purpose of providing a cannon suitable for the purpose for which it is designed to be used,and therefore it will be understood that I do not confine myself to any definite dimensions, or size of the various parts.

The extensions of the cheek-pieces 2 are provided in juxtaposition to the cross-pieces 3 with a transverse pivot-pin 8 on which the cap, or fulminateexploding hammer 9 is mounted, so that the hammer can swing on, or with the pivot-pin. The hammer is composed of a rod, or wire curved into segmental, or approximatelysegmental form, and the end portion, mounted on the pivot-pin 8, is extended from the pivot-pin to provide a tailpiece 10, so constructed, or shaped, that it is adapted to engage the edge 12 of a trippingarm which is bifurcated to form two members 13, connected at the rear by a relatively short, connecting piece 14, which afiords provision for the edge 12. The members of the trippingarm diverge forwardly, and are rigidly secured to, or formed integral with a transverse, tubular shaft or sleeve 15, arranged coincident or parallel with the wheel-spindles 6 and adapted to axially oscillate, or rock between bearings, or tubular portions 5, formed on the cheek-pieces of the carriage,or frame.

The front extremity of the curved, or segmental hammer, is adapted to strike a cap, or fulminate placed on the breech of the barrel. As here shown, the breech of the barrel is provided with a vent hole 16, and one, two, or more, projecting, pointed, or sharpened spurs 17, arranged in juxtaposition to the vent-hole and rising from the external surface of the breech of the barrel. The disconnected, or separate caps or .fulminates are designed to be placed individually over the vent-hole, and to be pressed upon the pointed, or sharpened spurs, so that the cap or fulminate is thereby securely held in position, and consequently if the cannon is exposed to the wind, or isjarred, or suddenly moved, the cap or fulminate will not be blown away, or disarranged, or displaced from proper position before the hammer strikes the same to explode it. The cap, or fulminate is designed to be placed over the vent-hole in the breech of the barrel, but the vent-hole is not a necessary element, and may be omitted, or be a mere imitation of a venthole.

The pivot-pin of the hammer is transversely arranged, so that the hammer will swing in a vertical plane coincident with, or parallel to the geometrical axis of the gun-barrel, thus permitting the tripping-arm to be placed beneath the gun-barrel and hammer, and to extend longitudinally of the barrel. Further, the arrangement shown renders it possible for the cord, or string 18 to run rearward in the same direction as the usual cord, or string employed by the child to draw, or wheel the cannon about.

The cord, or string passes through a guide 19, composed of a staple, or other suitable device, secured to a base-plate, or board 20, on which the cannon is arranged, and over which it is adapted to be moved. The cord is secured to an eye 21, projecting downward from the connecting piece 14 of the arms 13, composing the tripping-arm. The oscillating, or rocking shaft or sleeve 15, is in fact a part of the tripping-arm, and it is provided with a pendent eye 22, to which is secured one extremity of a spiral, or other suitable spring 23. The other extremity of the spring is secured to an eye 24, attached to the hammer 9 at a point directly above the pivot-pin 8. The spiral, or other spring, extends between the diverging members 13, of the tripping-arm, and connecting the same with the hammer and with the tubular shaft or sleeve, a single spring subserves two purposes, in that it throws the hammer against the breech to explode the cap or fulminate, and turns the tubular shaft or sleeve 15 in the direction required to swing the tripping-arm and place its edge 12 in engagement with the tailpiece 10 of the hammer, when the latter is swung rearward to cocked position. The hammer is held in the cooked position by the engagement of the edge 12 of the tripping-arm with the tail-piece 10, and after the cap or fulminate has been pressed upon the pointed, or sharpened spurs 17, it can be exploded by simply pulling, or jerking the string 18, which, under the restraint of the guide, staple, or other device 19, imparts a downward movement to the rear end of the tripping-arm, and thereby releases,

or trips the hammer, so that the spring 23 will swiftly swing the hammer upon the cap or fulminate, and thereby explode the same.

The cord-guide 19 is a desirable and useful feature where the cannon is placed upon abase-board, or similar support 20, in that the cannon may stand in any position on the baseboard, or support, and be moved into proper relation to the guide 19 by simply pulling, or jerking the string 18, whereby the trippingarm will be brought in such relation to the guide 19 that tension on the string will properly draw, or pull the tripping-arm downward to release or trip the hammer.

The wheel spindles 6 are preferably formed of a wire inserted through the bearings, or tubular portions 5, and constitute a part of the carriage or frame. The wire also extends through the tubular shaft or sleeve 15, so that the wire serves to support the latter as well as the wheels of the cannon. As regards the shaft 15, I do not, however, confine myself to a tubular construction of the same.

In my invention the essential devices for exploding the cap or fulminate comprise but three simple parts, the pivoted hammer, the tripping arm, and the spring, and conse- IIO 'quently a very simple and economical cap or fulminate exploding cannon is provided. The few parts employed as permanent attachments to the cannon for exploding the cap or fulminate materially reduce the expense of the article, and diminish theliability of parts becoming disarranged, or inoperative, when subjected to the rough handling, or usage incident to childrens playthings or toys.

I'Iavingthus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination with a wheeled carriage, and a barrel mounted thereupon, of a curved or segmental hammer pivoted to said carriage and having a tail piece at its pivoted end portion, a tripping-arm pivotally mounted at its front end on the carriage beneath the barrel to swing in a vertical plane and provided at its rear end with an edge to engage the tail-piece of the hammer, a single spring attached at its front end to a part of said tripping-arm and attached at its rear end to a part ofthe said hammer for the purpose of swinging the tripping-arm into engagement with the tail-piece of the hammer and throwing the hammer in the direction required to explode the cap or fulminate, and means for moving the tripping-arm out of engagement with the tail-piece of the hammer, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a wheeled carriage, and a barrel mounted thereupon, of a curved or segmental hammer pivoted to said carriage and having a tail-piece at its pivoted end portion, an oscillatory shaft mounted on the carriage beneath the barrel and provided with a tripping-arm having at its rear'end an edge to engage thetail-piece of the hammer, a spring attached at its front end to the oscillatory shaft and at its rear end to the hammer and acting to turn the shaft and swing the tripping-arm into engagement with the tail-piece of the hammer and to throw the hammer in the direction required to explode the cap or fulminate, and means for moving the tripping-arm out of engagement with the tail-piece of the hammer,substantially as described.

3. The combination with a carriage or frame having tubular bearing portions, a barrel mounted on the carriage or frame, a pivoted hammer having a tail-piece, and a Wire extending through the tubular bearing portions and carrying wheels, of a tubular shaft or sleeve mounted on said wire between said tubular bearing portions and provided with a tripping-arm having at its extremities an edge to engage the tail-piece of the hammer, a spring connected at one end with the hammer and at the other end with the tubular shaft or sleeve for turning the latter and swinging the tripping-arm into engagement with the tail-piece of the hammer, and a cord or string connected with the tripping-arm for disengaging it from the tail-piece of the hammer, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a wheeled carriage, and a barrel mounted thereupon, of a curved or segmental hammer pivoted to said carriage and having a tail-piece at its pivoted end portion, a tripping-arm mounted on the carriage beneath the barrel to swing in avertical plane and provided at its rear end with an edge to engage the tail-piece of the hammer, a single spring attached at its rear end to the hammer and at its front end to a part of the tripping-arm, a base-plate or board on which the Wheeled carriage is arranged, a guide secured to the base-plate or board, and a cord extending through said guide and connected with the tripping arm for moving the latter out of engagement with the tail-piece of the hammer, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a barrel having a sharpened spur rising from the external sur-- face of the breech thereof for engaging and holding disconnected, individual caps or fuln1inates,with a hammer for exploding the lat ter, substantially as described;

6. The combination of a barrel having its breech provided with a venthole, and pointed, or sharpened spurs rising from the external surface of the breech in juxtaposition to said vent for engaging securing, and holding a disconnected, or individual caps or fulminates, with a hammer for exploding the said caps or fulminates, substantially as described,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. KARR. [L. s]

Witnesses: a,

THOS. A. GREEN, Gno. W. REA. 

